The UK has fallen to a record low on a global index of corruption as the nation suffers the international fallout from the Mandelson-Epstein scandal.
Transparency International gave the UK 70 points out of 100 on its corruption perception index this year, the lowest score since it began taking stock in 2012.
The UK has seen a consistent slide since 2021, when it scored 78 points. It maintained its rank in 20th place.
Meanwhile, Denmark, Finland and Singapore have maintained their position as leaders in anti-corruption – though Denmark lost one point since last year’s rankings.
The US also achieved its lowest ever marks this year, with just 64 points.
Transparency International looks at global data that compares public sector corruption in nations across the work, which includes bribery, financial disclosure laws and whistleblower protection policies, among other issues.
The organisation said: ‘We’re seeing a concerning picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption. Even established democracies, like the US, UK and New Zealand, are experiencing a drop in performance.
‘The absence of bold leadership is leading to weaker standards and enforcement, lowering ambition on anti-corruption efforts around the world.’
After the release of the Epstein files, the UK has come under huge scrutiny following revelations that former Labour grandee Peter Mandelson may have passed on sensitive high-level information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary under Gordon Brown.
In 2009, he is alleged to have leaked a Downing Street proposal to sell £20bn of state assets.
An email found in the Epstein files appeared to suggest that Mandelson encouraged JPMorgan Chase boss Jamie Dimon to ‘mildly threaten’ then-Chancellor Alistair Darling over a bankers’ bonus tax.
This pressure was reportedly exerted through the reference of American banks as purchasers of UK gilt bonds, as well as potential investment plans in London.
The following year, he is also alleged to have forwarded confidential minute s of a meeting between Darling and the then-director of the US’ National Economic Council, Larry Summers, to Epstein just five minutes after he got them.
And just a few months later in one of his last acts as business secretary, Mandelson allegedly gave Epstein advance notice of a £435billion EU bailout in an attempt to save the value of the Euro.
The Metropolitan police are currently investigating Mandelson over these communications, looking into alleged misconduct in public office.
Commander Ella Marriott said earlier this month: ‘Following the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice, the Met received a number of reports into alleged misconduct in public office including a referral from the UK Government.
‘I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former Government Minister, for misconduct in public office offences.
‘The Met will continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation and won’t be commenting any further at this time.’
Daniel Bruce, the chief executive of Transparency International UK, said of the UK’s continued drop in its corruption index: ‘This persistent decline is not a temporary blip – it risks becoming a defining feature of our political culture.
‘The UK government must demonstrate that it is serious about restoring integrity. That means taking bold action to remove big money from politics, delivering genuinely open government, and ending the cronyism that undermines public trust in our institutions.’
